Poor positioning of the teeth is referred to as which condition?

• A. Malocclusion
• B. Class I Malocclusion
• C. Proper Occlusion
• D. Open Bite

Answer: (A)

Poor positioning of the teeth is described by the term malocclusion. Malocclusion is a broad designation for any deviation from ideal alignment of the teeth and how the upper and lower jaws fit together when the mouth closes. It includes a range of issues such as crowding, spacing, overbites, underbites, crossbites, and open bites.

This is different from proper occlusion, which means the teeth and jaws fit together normally. It’s also different from a Class I malocclusion, which is a specific jaw-tooth relationship where the molars have a normal relationship but other teeth may be misaligned. Open bite is a particular pattern of malocclusion where the front teeth don’t meet when the back teeth are together.